--- title: Thomas Leonard description: Thomas Leonard, the Father of Coaching, invented the Coach 100 approach to attracting coaching clients. --- [![School of Coaching Mastery](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/hs-fs/hub/41761/file-1592744230.png "School of Coaching Mastery")](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/?hsLang=en) [![School of Coaching Mastery](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/hs-fs/file-1591759451-png/images/headerimg.pngt.png "School of Coaching Mastery")](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/?hsLang=en) - [Blog](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coaching-blog) - [Training](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coach-training-programs) - [Positive Psychology Coach Training](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/positive-psychology-coach-training-online) - [Certified Positive Psychology and Neuroscience Coach Program](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/certified-positive-psychology-and-neuroscience-coach-program) - [Free Certified Positive Psychology Coach Fact Shee](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/free-certified-positive-psychology-coach-fact-sheet) - [Become a Certified Group Coach](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/become-a-certified-group-coach) - [Emotional Intelligence Coaching](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/emotional-intelligence-and-leadership-coaching) - [Certified Positive Psychology Coach Program](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/certified-positive-psychology-coach-program) - [Coach 100](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coach-100-business) - [Coach 100 Testimonials](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coach-100-testimonials) - [Coach 100 Resources](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coach-100-resources) - [Thomas Leonard](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/thomas-leonard) - [About Us](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/about-us) - [Testimonials](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/testimonials) - [Contact Us](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/contact-us) - [Best Practices for Professional Coaches](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/best-practices-for-professional-coaches) - [Become a Coach](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/become-a-coach) - [Positive Psychology](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/positive-psychology) - [Certified Positive Psychology Coach](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/certified-positive-psychology-coach-program) - [Find a Positive Psychology Coach](http://findacoachhere.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/listing/guide/positive-psychology-coach) - [Free Become a Coach eBook](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/free-become-a-coach-ebook) - [Certification](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/seven-secrets) - [Do You Need Coach Certification?](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/do-you-need-coach-certification) - [Certified Group Coaches](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/certified-group-coaches) - [Find a Coach](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/find-a-coach) - [Coach Directory](http://findacoachhere.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/) - [Resources](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coach-training-resources) # Thomas Leonard ![Thomas Leonard](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/hs-fs/file-14054836-bmp/images/thomas.bmp)  **Thomas Leonard, now deceased, is considered the 'father of coaching'. He advocated the Coach 100 approach to attracting coaching clients. Here's what he said:** **'If I were a new coach just starting out and I was feeling like I needed credentials to feel good about marketing my coaching services, here's what I would do...** I would go out of my way to find and coach 100 individuals over the next two years. That's IT. That's all I would do. They could pay me or not. Some clients would last a single session, others the full 2 years. But I would know that if I coached 100 people that the following would likely happen: --I would earn enough to get by, especially if I kept my day job and coached at night and on weekends. --I would learn SO much from these 100 people that I would develop confidence in my abilities. --I would start getting referrals within a month and this number of referrals would grow as I got better at what I did. --I would turn my 100 free/fee clients into my mentors and make sure they taught me how to coach them. --I would have testimonials and outcomes from clients that I would point to proudly if/when future clients wanted credentials/references. --I wouldn't be afraid to coach folks, because I'd be willing to coach them for free. --I wouldn't be afraid to ask a lot of my free clients because if they didn't like it, they'd leave.' --Thomas J. Leonard 2001 Thomas often spoke of this as the 'capillary approach' - a networking tactic where you simply start coaching as many people as possible. These clients will introduce you to more clients, they'll introduce you to more, and so on. Pretty soon your business is full. **We've put the Coach 100 'capillary method' on steroids. It works. **[**Find out more.**](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coach-100-business/?hsLang=en) # Download the free Coach 100 eBook [![Coach 100 free ebook](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/hs-fs/file-14048849-jpg/images/coach_100_ebook_rotated_with_shadow-resized-180.jpg)](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/download-your-free-coach-100-ebook/?hsLang=en) [Go here to download your free Coach 100 eBook](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/download-your-free-coach-100-ebook/?hsLang=en)  - [Positive Psychology Coach Training](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/positive-psychology-coach-training-online) - [Certified Positive Psychology and Neuroscience Coach Program](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/certified-positive-psychology-and-neuroscience-coach-program) - [Free Certified Positive Psychology Coach Fact Shee](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/free-certified-positive-psychology-coach-fact-sheet) - [Become a Certified Group Coach](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/become-a-certified-group-coach) - [Emotional Intelligence Coaching](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/emotional-intelligence-and-leadership-coaching) - [Certified Positive Psychology Coach Program](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/certified-positive-psychology-coach-program) - [Coach 100](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coach-100-business) - [Coach 100 Testimonials](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coach-100-testimonials) - [Coach 100 Resources](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coach-100-resources) - [Thomas Leonard](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/thomas-leonard) [![free-ecourse28-principlesof-attraction](https://d1n2i0nchws850.cloudfront.net/portals/41761/068db8f4-4dde-4a7e-abae-f3f0236545a2-1332470013064/download-our-whitepaper.png?v=1332470013.31)](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/28-principles-of-attraction-by-thomas-leonard?hsLang=en) ### Follow Us - [Home](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/?hsLang=en) - [Blog](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coaching-blog/?hsLang=en) - [Coach 100](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coach-100-business/?hsLang=en) - [Become a Coach](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/become-a-coach/?hsLang=en) - [Training](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/coach-training-programs/?hsLang=en) - [Certification](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/seven-secrets/?hsLang=en) - [Find a Coach](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/find-a-coach/?hsLang=en) - [About Us](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/about-us/?hsLang=en) - [Login](http://scmcoachtraining.com/wp-login.php) © 2014 Julia Stewart Coaching and Training LLC | [Privacy Policy](https://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/privacy-policy/?hsLang=en)